Backtrack: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when talking about changing a previous decision or statement. It can have a negative connotation, suggesting indecision or lack of consistency.

• The company had to backtrack on its policies after public outcry.
• He was firm in his opinions at first but later decided to backtrack.

Typically used when trying to follow one's steps back to an original point to find something lost or to recall an event.

• He retraced his steps to find his missing keys.
• I tried to retrace my actions to understand where I went wrong.

Commonly used to indicate turning something around or changing direction, both literally and figuratively.

• She decided to reverse the order of the pages.
• He tried to reverse the car out of the tight parking space.

Use in situations involving mathematical or numerical corrections, where initial calculations were incorrect or additional data has been received.

• We need to recalculate the budget as new expenses have come up.
• After discovering an error, she had to recalculate the scores.